On Wednesday, the NBA regular season wrapped up as several teams in action were either attempting to clinch a playoff spot or secure their particular seed. Among the teams vying for a final playoff spot were the Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls, and Indiana Pacers. While all three teams won, only two will be in the playoff picture. Additionally, the Utah Jazz were attempting to secure the No. 4 seed for home court advantage, while the Boston Celtics were trying to lock up the No. 1 spot in the East over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Here's a look at how the playoff picture will be along with matchups and upcoming dates for playoffs action.
Eastern Conference matchups
In the East, the Boston Celtics managed to grab a huge win on the final night of the season. Boston dropped Milwaukee 112-94. The victory gave the Celtics the top overall seed in the East. They'll have a first-round series against the Chicago Bulls, a team that won their final game of the season 112-73 over the Nets to grab a playoff spot.
At the No. 2 spot will be the Cleveland Cavaliers. They lost to Toronto on Wednesday 98-83. Cleveland takes on Paul George and the Pacers in the first round. Indiana clinched a playoff spot with a win on Wednesday over Atlanta, 104-86.
The No. 3 seed belongs to the Toronto Raptors with a record of 51-31. As mentioned they topped the Cavs 98-83.
The Raptors get to play against the "Greek Freak" and the Milwaukee Bucks, who took the No. 6 seed. The Bucks fell to the Celtics in their final game of the season.
Finally, the No. 4 seed will be the Washington Wizards (49-33). They take on the No. 5 seed Atlanta Hawks for first round action. The Hawks were on a bit of a hot streak ahead of tonight's loss to Indiana having defeated the Cavaliers twice in three games.
Speaking of hot streaks, the two hottest NBA teams entering the playoffs will be the Indiana Pacers and Toronto Raptors. Indiana has won five in a row heading to the postseason while Toronto has won four games straight.
Western Conference matchups
It's no secret who the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference will be as Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and the Golden State Warriors clinched a playoff spot way back in February.
For their first round matchup they'll take on Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers.
The No. 2 seed goes to the San Antonio Spurs. They'll draw an opening round matchup against No. 7 seed Memphis Grizzlies, a team known for their physical style. It could be a long series for San Antonio.
At the No. 3 seed will be the Houston Rockets, led by James Harden. They'll battle against his former teammate Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder. The intriguing aspect of this matchup is that both players are vying for the NBA MVP Award.
On Wednesday night, the Utah Jazz took the No. 4 seed thanks to a 101-97 win over the San Antonio Spurs. That gave Utah home court advantage thanks to a one-game lead over the Los Angeles Clippers who will be their opening round opponent.
In the Western Conference, the Clippers come in red hot, having won six games in a row now. The Portland Trail Blazers aren't too shabby, having won their last three as they pushed their way into the postseason.
When does it begin?
Saturday, April 15th will be the first date for the first round of NBA matchups in the 2017 playoffs. Games will continue on Sunday, Monday, and throughout the following week. The NBA Finals won't start until approximately June 1st.
During the course of the NBA playoffs action, fans will also get to see the NBA Draft Lottery in May. This will be held to determine what teams get what picks for the NBA Draft. It will be revealed who gets the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft that will be held later this June. Ironically, the Boston Celtics have the best shot at getting that pick, thanks to owning the Brooklyn Nets' pick this year due to a trade several seasons ago.